At just a portion of the 250 presentations across all co-located events at IDTechEx, the electric-vehicle events have been excellent so far. Experts have covered both trends and challenges in EVs as well as cutting-edge breakthroughs in myriad areas. Here are some of the highlights from the first day of the show.
IDTechEx CEO Raghu Das welcomed attendees and took the opportunity to highlight the innovations happening across all co-located events. In the electric-vehicle market, he noted that the automotive “ivory tower” is being crushed by disruptive players like Tesla, Dyson, and Hanergy.
Julia Landauer, a two-time championship-winning NASCAR driver, talked about how the car racing world and automotive advances can benefit each other.
Terrafugia Founder/CEO Carl Dietrich gave an excellent presentation describing the reasons to design a flying car. In addition, he provided a technical overview of the prototype car showcased in this figure (the Transition).
The Zero FXS is an electric motorcycle made by Zero Motorcycles. Zero’s second generation of motors offers a patented passively air-cooled interior-permanent-magnet (IPM) motor design.
The ME2 charging solution creates a self-charging car with a built-in Level 2 charger by using the kinetic energy generated when the vehicle is in forward motion.
Hydro Extruded Solutions designs and manufactures aluminum components for passenger cars and commercial vehicles with the objective of shedding weight, thereby boosting fuel economy and reducing carbon emissions.
Justin Regnier, Lead Engineer Fuels & Transportation of the California Energy Commission, talked about how the state of California handles the budget for Electric Vehicle Activities and the funding of the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP). He noted that there are approximately 28.9 million cars and 1 million trucks in the state.
Jason Koeller is a battery scientist working for Cuberg. He gave an exciting presentation showcasing the company’s battery technology, which is based on a new highly stable and nonflammable electrolyte. This approach enables reversible cycling of the lithium metal anode and the use of the best lithium-ion cathodes available today.